Access to antiretroviral treatment is worryingly low in West and Central Africa, with little priority given to HIV in the region, according to a report from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Currently, just 24% of people have access to treatment in the region.

Negotiating the political minefield of global drug policy has left civil society and many progressive-thinking countries disappointed by the outcomes of last week’s United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the World Drug Problem, and frustrated by the UNGASS process.

Doctors at Georgetown University in the USA have reported the first diagnosed case of Alzheimer’s disease in a person living with HIV. It was previously thought that HIV-related inflammation in the brain may prevent amyloid deposition – one of the likely causes of Alzheimer’s disease. 1

Indian study that bridges the gap between evidence from a closely-monitored trial and evidence from global surveillance, by finding a clear correlation between treatment, viral suppression and HIV incidence in large populations.

Although more Ugandan men are seeking medical circumcision, the government is falling short of its 80 per cent target. This has led some health experts to ask if Uganda should adopt a new strategy to encourage more men to come forward.